Palin:0 SNL:2

If only Palin would do a little better during her interviews, give the media more chances to see her shine, or present herself as a strong leader independent of McCain, maybe Saturday Night Live would stop picking on her. 

Palin's interview with Katie Couric was not easy to watch. I take that back, it was easy to watch if you're a Palin-hater. She stumbled, avoided hard questions, and even told Couric she'd "get back to ya."

Does this have anything to do with McCain canceling on David Letterman? According to McCain, no. He had to rush back to Washington to put his campaign on pause and deal with the financial crisis.  But I'm sure getting teased about Palin's lack of interview skills was at least on the list of reasons he didn't show. Letterman was pretty harsh on the last-minute ditch, but our focus here is on Palin.

And SNL.

The genius of Tina Fey is captured in her Palin character. But even though everyone love's Fey's impression of Palin, Fey announced that she would really like to stop impersonating Palin on November 5. 

What makes the least sense to me is how the McCain campaign allows Palin very few interview chances, especially with the vice presidential debates so close. They argue that Palin has very little debate experience, and needs the debate setup to be altered to tailor her experience. Yet she can be gaining experience answering probing questions by interviewing. Paradoxes of the McCain/Palin ticket. 

I think I'll be watching yet another Tina Fey opening on Saturday Night Live very soon.

Legally Blonde 4: Palin in the White House

So maybe Sarah Palin isn’t blonde. But this NYTimes Op/Ed points out some very interesting similarities.

Could Sarah Palin be Washington’s Elle Woods?

Consider these points:

Elle Woods seemed superficial; she was blonde and beautiful and no one took her seriously. Sarah Palin was a beauty queen.

Elle Woods is met with skepticism at Harvard; her peers and professors alike doubt her abilities. Sarah Palin has met skeptics.

Elle Woods keeps a secret for her client. Sarah Palin doesn’t do interviews.

Elle Woods had very little legal experience, yet overtook her professor’s case and won, when the odds were against her. Sarah Palin has little experience.

Maybe Palin’s naivety and lack of experience will be the catalyst Washington needs to change. Palin could be the big pink bow in a room full of balding, white-haired heads. Maybe America needs a break from the traditional and start moving away from historically effective and towards change.

But life isn’t always like Elle’s.

“Real life is different, of course, from Hollywood fantasy. Incompetence has consequences, political and personal. Glorifying or glamorizing the sense of just not being up to the tasks of life has consequences, too. It means that any woman who exudes competence will necessarily be excluded from the circle of sisterhood. We can’t afford any more of that.” –Judith Warner

The Strategy of Hiding

Are the media the only ones complaining? Do voters not care if Palin has only done three network interviews, while Biden has agreed to dozens of interviews?

That's what the Republican Party wants us to believe: Palin doesn't have to legitimize her candidacy, because voters know she's capable. It's the media that wants to take Palin down!

What is the strategy behind this?

Maybe the McCain campaign is being cautious: in that case, is Palin really fit for the Presidency?

I like to think that the people controlling our country (or potentially controlling) are smarter than that. Maybe I'm too optimistic, but it helps me get through the day.

Just look at how much more hype Palin's interviews get than Biden's. We get excited when we get the opportunity to see Palin. We're addicted to her, whether we support her or not. The McCain campaign is exploiting our celebrity-like obsession with Palin by keeping her hidden and giving us sneak peaks at her potential.

Is this strategy working? It's frustrating the media, which may be part of McCain's strategy anyway. Either way, Palin is being talked about.

And any press is good press, right?

Debates are the most fun part of campaigning.

Thank you youdecide.com!

September 26, 2008: Presidential debate with foreign policy focus, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

October 2, 2008: Vice Presidential debate, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

October 7, 2008: Presidential debate in a town hall format, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

October 15, 2008: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Each debate will begin at 9pm eastern, 6pm pacific time and last for 90 minutes. They will be aired on every major broadcast network such as CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX. They will also be aired on cable outlets such as Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and many others.

Countdown to Palin's debate: only 9 more days!!

Energizing the Base

Evangelical Christians overwhelmingly support Palin’s religiosity, large family, pro-life stance, and creationistic views. According to the Washington Post, socially conservative voters will not only turn out in larger numbers, but also be more active in the campaign because of Palin. This makes me wonder how we can value the separation of church and state so highly, yet push for a candidate whose values are saturated in the religious experience.

But who am I to say that humankind makes greenhouse gases, or a woman’s body should be under her own control?

Ironically, Palin’s pro-life stance, which includes instances of rape and incest, doesn’t apply to her views of lives in the Middle East. PressTV explores the link between the Christian Right and the Zionist movement, or Israeli occupation of Palestine.

While some people disagree that the War in Iraq is a “task from God,” evangelicals can identify with Palin’s conservative views.  This is not to say that all evangelicals will vote for Palin. Increasing numbers of “freestyle” evangelicals are moving away from the evangelical “bloc.” While they may be socially conservative, they may be politically liberal.

It used to be that securing the evangelical vote would strengthen a candidate’s, generally of the Republican ticket, chances. This isn’t the case any more, but maybe Palin will intensify evangelical identity and produce yet another powerful voting bloc in 2008.

Get Out Her Vote Video

Palin is anti-abortion.

I am not.

Watch this video.

The Source of the Bounce

According to politicalwire.com, the polls as of September 12 showed a very tight race:

AP/Ipsos: McCain 46%, Obama 45%

Diageo/Hotline: Obama 45%, McCain 44%

Gallup Daily: McCain 48%, Obama 45%

Rasmussen: McCain 48%, Obama 45%

Research 2000: Obama 47%, McCain 46%

 

Likewise, a Newsweek poll (http://www.newsweek.com/id/158627) showed a dead even between the candidates. The Newsweek poll noted that the Republican ticket is “Buoyed by the Republican convention and overwhelming partisan enthusiasm for his choice of Sarah Palin as [McCain’s] running mate.”

But what does that bump mean? Is the race closer because of Palin’s entry?

Maybe, but maybe not. It seems as though Palin has only strengthened the Republican base, rather than drawn undecideds to the Republican ticket. Newsweek reported that in July, only 39% of McCain voters supported him strongly, whereas now, 71% of McCain voters support him strongly.

The biggest bounce group the Republicans are seeing is white women. McCain was backed by 5% in July, and is now up to 53% by added a woman to his ticket.

What struck me most about the bump in white women were these numbers:

“Overall, a majority of voters (52 percent) have a favorable opinion of Palin, even if they are not familiar with some of the details in her record. Fifty-seven percent of registered voters did not know that Palin opposes abortion even in instances of rape and incest. Sixty-nine percent did not know that she favors teaching creationism in public schools. Asked if Palin shares their view on abortion, 43 percent of white women said yes, 41 percent said no and 16 percent did not know.”

However, only 29% of voters said Palin makes them more likely to support McCain, and 22% said Palin makes them less likely to support McCain.

Overall, I think that Palin’s addition to the Republican ticket did surprise people. It reenergized the Republican base, and enhanced enthusiasm for the ticket. However, once the shock subsides, it will be a tough and interesting battle between the presidential candidates, and Palin and Biden will be on the sidelines cheering with the rest of us.

On a side note, I think John McCain should start watching ABC. No, not for the news coverage. One show ABC piloted, called “Commander-in-Chief,” produced a scenario in which a conservative presidential candidate, in an effort to get women voters, picked an inexperienced woman as his VP. He died, and she had to take over. Sound familiar, McCain?